How are we going to save the planet?

We are contenting with;-
Habit-  It is difficult to change habits because they happen without thinking.  I buy a bottle of Evian Water because I have always bought this water - it's got a great flavour that reminds me of the Alps.
But that is exactly where it has come from; - like carting alpine air to be inhaled in boring Britain.  A waste of petrol- tonnes of plastic.  Even the water contains miro-plastics.  And the least of our problems:- it costs a lot.

What do we do instead?  We can filter water- we could buy local mineral water, we can buy water in reusable bottles.  But is the effort worth it?  The minuscule reward is not evident, and before I know it, I've done it again.

The habit is strong.  Am I, like Donald Trump, unconvinced by the necessary for change?  Or is it that 'denial' is also a 'habitual thought'.  Am I, like Donald Trump, in my latter years with little consideration for the problems left for future generations to solve?

The Tipping Point- Too many of us are followers.  We are not motivated to address any of the big issues around us, and focus on the small issues of our daily lives.  If change becomes a cultural norm we are likely to adopt new practices, but these are likely to be more a cultural phenomenon, similar to changes in fashion.  These changes are likely to be absorbed subconsciously.  Many, like the farms featured in the film 'The Boy who harnessed the Wind', need to consider surviving one year, and do not have the luxury of considering the next generation.  Others, like the drug dealers who park up on my street, and throw takeaway wrapper out of their car window before driving off at speed, are not my constituents in this argument.

Macro and Mico-  China has announced that it will phase out the use of plastic bags.  One large and influential nation, with all it problems, is doing a brave and yet to be tested action.  Global change like this is likely to have the biggest impact.  But individuals say 'just let me do this one more time' - holidays abroad, nice warm houses, lone car driving.

The human predilection for greed- and comparison.  "After you" - "I'll change after you change."  "If I go first you are likely to take advantage of me."  I am reminded of the letter from Shell written to me in response to my letter regarding the Nigerian Ogoni crisis of 1994.  The standard letter noted that Shell had a much better ethical record that all its competitors.  This is much like the bugler who justify their actions by noting that other thieves also maim and injure their victims.

So if we want to save the planet, we need accept the four givens above.

Malcome Gladwell's famous book, 'The Tipping Point', explores how change occurs.  When it happens it is normally complete, moving in a Hegelian Shift', to another, where a return is unlikely.

Examples of this are 'the move from Steam to Diesel', the uptake of universal suffrage across the world, welfare state systems and an outlawing of slavery.

Our capitalist economys have subconscious power over the people.  Most people are oblivious to the control that is imposed on them (like fish gazing through water, wondering if it exists at all.)  Totalitarian States are in some way more honest.  Capitalist economies promote the tonic of freedom.

Transport is unlikely to change until oil reserves are depleted sufficiently.  Efficiency of fuel use might be possible, but incentives are poor.  A paradox exists  which mans less profits go to multinational companies.The technique used her by those in power is 'appeasement'- Logo's are changed, virtues published, and very little changes.  It is also true that the obvious alternatives are not with us yet.  As has recently been pointed out, if cars moved rapidly to electric power, most countries would not cope.  Norway is the exception.

There are a number of alternative models.

Gaia argues that the challenge to the worlds ecosystems will result in 'rebalancing'.  We do not need to worry too much because inevitably significant changes to the worlds geography will result in controlling phenomena, such as 'mass extinction', and migration.  This model takes the long view and is only really satisfactory for hardened evolutionary biologists.

'Traumatic Change' is the idea that most seismic change occurs are a result of catastrophe.  Examples are the large scale changes that occurred after the Second World War.  These were- development of industrial scale food production with a greater knowledge of the destructive and creative power of phosphorous, the development of space technology, the changes in world political systems toward welfare politics and away from colonial power.  Also the creation of a 'world political order' (Nato, Soviet Union, and the UN.)

In the UK there is hope that the tipping point is being reached.  The political consensus has moved to the right, which may prelude a dramatic shift to the left.  In the past such shifts have created changes that feel as if a tipping point has been breached.  Examples are 1) homosexual equality, and 2) UK with a multicultural mindset.  All mainstream parties now believe that homosexuals should not be discriminated against, and that images of Britain should include a true diversity of representation.  This is certainly demonstrable with ethnicity and skin colour.  But still most black people in television commercials will have strong UK accents.  There is a visible lack of disabled and less' photo-perfect' images of people in the UK media, but this is being challenged.